Friday, October 22, 2010

Creating Experiences, Part 3: People

I've saved the most important part for last.

Recently I was speaking with a group of church leaders about the importance of guest services and creating great experiences that leave a WOW! First Impression. During the Q&A time, one leader asked me the following: "All this is well and good, but my church has limited resources - we can't possibly do all these things (the subjects of the last few posts- here and here) at once. Where do we start?"

My quick answer: always default to people.

In the equation Creating Experiences = Product + Place + People, the most important part, the starting place, the foundation which all is is built on - it's people.

Starbucks may have a good product lineup; it may offer the most comfortable, friendly place to hang out alone or with friends. But neither product nor place have any traction without the people greeting you with a smile, asking what you would like (maybe suggesting something new), and then servicing you with speed, excellence, and always a smile. You have to have a great team in place first before you can begin to deliver excellent experiences.

The same is true in ChurchWorld: the experiences that you are attempting to create, the places and spaces in which they are housed - both literally and figuratively - are important.

But you don't get anywhere without the people.

When an organization helps its team members bring pride, excellence, and playfulness to every aspect of their task, those team members literally have the chance to change the lives of those around them.

People want to be a part of something bigger than themselves. They want to be a part of something that touches their hearts.

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I've Moved!

After 700 posts here, I've moved over to 27gen.com for leadership topics and GuestExperienceDesign.com for Guest Experience topics. If you liked what you've read here, come and check out the new sites!

Bob

My Backstory

My passion is helping churches THRIVE by turning challenges into opportunities. I am a son, brother, husband, father, father-in-law, and GrandBob. The 27 years that separate each of these four generations provide a rich and continual influence on my life. My wife Anita is my best friend and partner in the 3 ring circus called our family. We have 4 children - two sons with families of their own: 3 grandchildren; a daughter in divinity school; and a son in culinary school. Life is always exciting - and I wouldn't have it any other way!